3 reasons why Lakers will trade Westbrook to Pacers after Schroder deal
By Jason Reed
3. The Lakers signing Dennis Schroder shows a commitment to winning now
The Los Angeles Lakers have been stingy with the draft picks they want to trade. Los Angeles barely seems keen on the idea of trading one pick with it taking a true needle-moving trade to justify the team trading a second first-round pick.
Hield and Turner is the best package that the Lakers can get and while in a vacuum the two players are not worth two first-round picks, the Lakers are also getting Russell Westbrook off the roster, which is an added bonus.
There also is the fact that Hield has another year left on his deal which would take away some of the financial flexibility away from the Lakers next summer. Los Angeles would still have money to spend, though, they just would not be able to spend on a big free agent.
Signing Schroder seems to signal that the front office has finally made its mind up on contending this upcoming season and making the most of the title window that they know is guaranteed. Nothing is guaranteed in the future and the hope is that Rob Pelinka is realizing that.
Why do we think there has been a shift in the mindset? Schroder does not even make that much sense from an Xs and Os standpoint as the roster is currently constructed. That being said, he is undoubtedly the best unrestricted free agent still on the market.
The fact that LA signed the best available, regardless of fit, should reveal their intentions.